Thomas Jefferson Papers

William F. Gordon to Thomas Jefferson, 15 October 1813

From William F. Gordon

Ch[arlottes]ville 15th Octr 1813.

Dear Sir

I have the pleasure to inform you that the Judge this morning gave his opinion in your case of a Forcible entry & detainer v Michie in which the Inquest of the Jury was considered as sufficient on which to issue a warrant of restitution, and that the Justices acted legally in awarding restitution and in refusing the Traverse tendered by Michie, which put nothing in issue—The Case was argued by Mr Johnson Mr Barbour and myself on your part and by Mr Monroe on the part of Mr Michie—I cannot inform you what will be the course of Michie—If he wishes to appeal from the decision of this Court I believe, without Reference to authorities or to the Law, that his correct course will be to apply for a writ of Error to the General Court if he still continues dissatisfied.

With the highest respect I am Yr ob sert

Wm F. Gordon

RC (MHi); mutilated at seal; addressed: “Thomas Jefferson Esqr Monticello”; endorsed by TJ as received 17 Oct. 1813 from Charlottesville and so recorded in SJL.

The judge of the state circuit court sitting in Charlottesville at this time was Archibald Stuart, while the justices of the peace in question were John Watson and David J. Lewis. A writ of error directs a lower court to deliver a case to an appellate court for review (Black’s Law Dictionary description begins Bryan A. Garner and others, eds., Black’s Law Dictionary, 7th ed., 1999 description ends ).

SJL records missing letters from TJ to Gordon of 4 and 16 June 1813. A letter of 6 Oct. 1813 to TJ from “Gordon & Barbour” (probably William F. Gordon and Philip P. Barbour), not found, is recorded in SJL as received the day it was written.

Index Entries

  • Albemarle County Superior Court of Law, Va. search
  • Barbour, Philip Pendleton; and Jefferson v. Michie search
  • Barbour, Philip Pendleton; letters from accounted for search
  • Gordon, William Fitzhugh; and land dispute with D. Michie search
  • Gordon, William Fitzhugh; letters from search
  • Gordon, William Fitzhugh; letters from accounted for search
  • Gordon, William Fitzhugh; letters to accounted for search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Business & Financial Affairs; dispute with D. Michie search
  • Jefferson v. Michie; D. Michie’s appeal denied search
  • Jefferson v. Michie; jury findings search
  • Jefferson v. Michie; warrant for restitution of land to TJ search
  • Johnson, Chapman; and Jefferson v. Michie search
  • Lewis, David Jackson; and warrant for restitution of land search
  • Michie, David; Jefferson v. Michie search
  • Monroe, Joseph Jones; and Jefferson v. Michie search
  • Stuart, Archibald; and Jefferson v. Michie search
  • Virginia; General Court search
  • Watson, John; and warrant for restitution of land search